Picket duty during the Civil War is an area that interests me. I found this account of the macro view of picket duty during the Peninsula Campaign in an excerpt of Captain August Kautz’ diary found in Broadfoot Publishing’s Supplement to the Official Records. Unfortunately, I don’t think I have a soldier’s account of the micro view out here in Washington with me.

“June 18. — Early this morning I was detailed to report at 9 o’clock, with my own and Captain Sander’s squadron. We were ordered to relieve Captain Magruder on picket at Haw’s. We reached Haw’s about noon and the afternoon was devoted to disposing our pickets. I visited all the points and made the connection with General Stoneman’s right. The position is a pleasant one. We get plenty of cherries, berries and vegetables from the inhabitants. I placed my reserve at Haw’s and placed my videttes on the only two roads there are to approach on. Six contrabands came in from Hanover Court-House. They report pickets there but no force.

“June 19. — I made a small map and sent a report showing how the videttes are posted to General Cooke this morning. In the afternoon I sent for some papers and the mail….” (Supplement to the Official Records, Volume 2, pages 125-126).

Note: This is the last of Charlie’s letters for 1863. It will be the final one posted this summer. I haven’t decided yet when to start posting the 1864 letters. In this missive, we find Charlie enamored of Huntsville and planning on voting for McClellan.

Huntsville Alabama
December 12th 1863

Dear Parents

I believe we are “settled down” for the winter, and I don’t want to be in a better place than this for the cold weather. Huntsville is a very pretty city and formerly contained about nine thousand inhabitants. It is celebrated for the “big spring,” and the healthy climate in its vicinity. The spring is a stunner, affording more water than the Pomperary river (in dry weather) and the location of town is so remarkably healthy that the citizens had to borrow a corpse to start a graveyard with. Our camp is situated on a beautifully wooded knoll, just such an one as Cooper would delight in assigning for the picturesque camp of some Indian tribe, or Walter Scott would select for some story of Scottish chivalry. From the top, a fine view of Huntsville is obtained, and thanks to the warm climate of the sunny south, we are comfortable. I received a letter from you three days ago, but had to go on guard one day, and spent two days in fixing my quarters, so your letter had to wait a reply. I now have a very comfortable little snuggery built about ten feet square with fire-place, chimney, and all the modern — Modern Improvements, and intend to take a good comfortable winter rest. General Grant is doing things up in a hurry, and may interupt my pleasant fancies but I hope not.

There is considerable rain here, three days out of four we have been here it has rained but I dont think such weather can last forever we must have some pleasant days, and even the rain does not make the roads as muddy as the used to in Virginia. Speaking of Virginia brings me to the Army of the Potomac again and I see that Meade is at some of the incomprehensible strategy of all the other Generals; falling back to allow Lee to reinforce Longstreet, of a surety we have some chivalrous Generals they scorn to take a mean advantage of a man and when they have the Rebs at a disadvantage they hold up to show fair play. Bully for them. I suppose before you get this McClellan will be nominated for president at least I hope so. Not that I expect to see him elected for that I judge to be out of the question with as many candidates in the field as there will be for the Democratic party, but give him a try for it anyhow. I am going to vote for him a dozen times if I can.

In Mothers letter to me she says the banks only take four hundred a year on deposit. Will you tell me how it is, I always thought a bank would receive any amount. I am in hopes of getting a few day furlough this winter if we stay here, and shall pay you a visit if possible, but dont think it is certain for I hardly think I can have so much luck. However get a barrel of cider ready, for I might.

I cant write about the war news as we dont get it till long after you do, and the other news is not obtainable so excuse my short letter, better luck next time perhaps.

I remain affectionately
Charles E. Bates

It is sometimes interesting to compare what people say in their official reports to what they may record in their diaries or letters home. Two such accounts of the same event by the same person are pretty rare, but I’ve come across a case on this same day in 1862.

Captain August V. Kautz was directed to take an expedition consisting of his squadron (Companies B and H) of the 6th U.S. Cavalry and two squadrons of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry to burn the ferries across the Pamunkey River and arrest Doctor Carter W. Wormley. At this time his was the only squadron in the regiment armed with carbines. Listed below are his official report of the event from the Official Records, and an excerpt from his journal for these two days, published in the Supplement to the Official Records by Broadfoot Publishing.

The official report, submitted to brigade headquarters:

“Camp near Richmond, Va.,
June 3, 1862

Sir: In obedience to instructions received I have to report that I proceeded with my squadron, armed with carbines, and two squadrons of Lancers to New Castle, on the Pamunkey River, yesterday afternoon, where I found the ferry-boat destroyed by some previous party. I ascertained the same to be true at Bassett’s and Pipingtree, farther down the river, by sending a squadron of Lancers to each point. I arrived at Wormley’s Ferry so late last evening that I could do nothing, as the boats were on the opposite side of the river, as is also Dr. Wormley’s residence, where I expected to find him. I therefore returned to New Castle and encamped.

Through information obtained last evening and the aid of a slave recently escaped I was enabled to find the ferry-boat belonging to Dr. Wormley’s ferry concealed in a creek near by on the north side of the river, together with the sloop Golden Gate, about 25 tons, from Norfolk, eight wooden boats, and one metallic life-boat, each capable of carrying from 20 to 30 persons. The ferry-boat would carry two teams with their horses. All these were rendered entirely useless. The sloop was burned.
A small canoe enabled me to send Lieutenant Balder and 6 men, who succeeded in arresting Dr. Wormley. I sent him immediately to the provost-marshal-general by Lieutenant Balder, who was directed also to report in person at headquarters the result of the expedition, as I was delayed several hours in destroying the boats. These boats were about a mile above New Castle by the road, on Dr. Wormley’s farm, and were concealed, as the entrance of the creek was hidden by the foliage of newly-felled trees. The river was flooded and still rising to-day, and troops could not be crossed without fixing a line.

I could collect no satisfactory information that a force was organizing or existed on the north side of the river, as I supposed in my instructions. Having complied with my instructions I returned to camp with my command this afternoon.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
AUGUST V. KAUTZ,
Captain, Sixth Cavalry, Commanding Expedition.

Lieut. J. C. Audenried,
Sixth Cavalry, Acting Asst. Adjt. Gen., Cavalry Brigade.”

And the entry from his journal for the same period:

“June 2. — The morning was spent in camp. After dinner an order came for me to take my squadron and two squadrons of lancers and proceed to the Pamunkey River and burn the ferries and destroy all communications across the Pamunkey above Pipingtree to Doctor Wormley’s Ferry, to arrest Doctor Wormley and to ascertain all I could about a force organizing in King William County. The ferry’s having already been destroyed or removed, I could do nothing this evening except to camp. I sent one squadron to Pipingtree to ascertain if the ferry was destroyed. We ordered supper with Mr. Patterson, the overseer, and I devoted myself to hunting up information for the work to-morrow. Through Dennis, Captain Savage’s servant, I learned all that is necessary for tomorrow.

“June 3. — It rained very hard last night, and I was driven to take shelter under the porch of the overseer’s house. I sent the other squadron of Lancers down to Bassett’s Ferry to see if it could be used, whilst I took a contraband and proceeded to Doctor Wormley’s Ferry, with my squadron. We sent a man across the stream, where he found a canoe in which Lieutenant Balder crossed with five or six men and proceeded to arrest Doctor Wormley, whilst we proceeded to destroy the ferry boat and a sloop of twenty-five tons, the Golden Gate of Norfolk and eight yawl boats and one metallic life boat, which we found concealed in the mouth of little creek near by. The doctor was very violent. I sent him to the Provost Marshal General and returned to camp with my command and wrote my report. More rain….”

In this case, it appears the two accounts are very close. The only differences, that Captain Savage’s servant actually obtained the information and a trooper had to swim the Pamunkey to get the canoe, are pretty minor.

Sources:
Official Records, Series I, Volume 11, Part I, pages 997-998.

Supplement to the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Volume 2, page 123.